YABT (Yet Another Build Thread)

[joecool]

OK, based on feedback here (thanks david!) I've modified my build as follows.

Same as before:
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST3500418AS 500GB
Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690
OS: Win7 Home Premium 64-bit

Modified:
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz
Mobo: ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AMD 880G

This bumps the price up to $650 but after rebates back to $600. I'm sticking w/the seagate drive 'cause they've served me well for years. No GPU yet but I'm thinking about it. I've still got a couple of questions tho:

1) Is the Corsair 400W PSU big enough for this setup?
2) The on-board video is the Radeon 4250. Which discreet GPUs will that play Crossfire with?
3) What the heck are 460/470/480 as regards GPUs? I can't find these numbers anywhere in the GPUs you recommended.

Thanks for the help!

Joe

 

[Davidh373]

I would never trust a Seagate. I know you say they are your favorite and all but according to reviews that one has a 16 percent fail rate. If you add the 2 egg reviews to the one eggs (which are mostly about drives failing within a month) you get a total fail rate of 21 percent. If you add... we'll say half of the 3 egg reviews (which is about consistent with the amount of reviews about failure) you get 24 percent failure rate. No matter what kind of history I have with a company, that would be far enough to dissuade me from a purchase, especially when you can get a different brand with some reliability behind it for the same price.

EDIT: Some people in the reviews are comparing Seagate to Hitachi back from the days of the Deskstar (promptly named by adopters as the 'DEATH STAR' for a reason). These are bad drives. People who bought two or more featured 50/50 and half and half on their reviews. Do not buy Seagate.

 

[mfenn]

That shouldn't even require the 5770, probably the 5750 will do you fine. I have a friend that plays games triple monitored with the 5770 (at resolutions above 1080p) and he never complains about framerate. So no problems with games and no problems with video editing.

Your friend must not be very demanding if he has no problem with Eyefinity on a 5770.

 

[Davidh373]

Dunno, he says he doesn't notice any performance issues in BFBC2. He also says he also cranks it.

 

[mfenn]

Dunno, he says he doesn't notice any performance issues in BFBC2. He also says he also cranks it.

He's either lying or enjoys hanging out in the teens.

 

[Davidh373]

Maybe.

 

[joecool]

i actually had a deathstar drive and the title was well earned. however i know of several folks w/this seagate who haven't had problems. that said i'll take your suggestion under advisement.

what about my other questions - psu power and gpu. anybody got any answers?

 

[mfenn]

OK, based on feedback here (thanks david!) I've modified my build as follows.

Same as before:
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST3500418AS 500GB
Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690
OS: Win7 Home Premium 64-bit

Modified:
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz
Mobo: ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AMD 880G

This bumps the price up to $650 but after rebates back to $600. I'm sticking w/the seagate drive 'cause they've served me well for years. No GPU yet but I'm thinking about it. I've still got a couple of questions tho:

1) Is the Corsair 400W PSU big enough for this setup?
2) The on-board video is the Radeon 4250. Which discreet GPUs will that play Crossfire with?
3) What the heck are 460/470/480 as regards GPUs? I can't find these numbers anywhere in the GPUs you recommended.

Thanks for the help!

Joe

1) A 400CX is plenty for a system with any GPU up to and including a 5770.

2) Friends don't let friends do Hybrid Crossfire. But seriously, since most games these days use the AFR (alternate frame rendering) mode, the IGP will will just massively hold back any sort of real GPU.

3) GTX 460, GTX 470, GTX 480

 

[Davidh373]

mfenn said earlier you were fine with the 400W. Like I said I would go with the 460 or the lower quality 5770 as long as you aren't going to do anything heavy with it.

 

[mfenn]

mfenn said earlier you were fine with the 400W. Like I said I would go with the 460 or the lower quality 5770 as long as you aren't going to do anything heavy with it.

A 5770 is less powerful, but not lower quality.

 

[Davidh373]

Oh, right, what he said...

 

[joecool]

ah, got it. 4xx is nvidia, 5xxx is ati.

so if i wanna go a little higher, what would you guys recommend w/this mobo/cpu combination?

 

[Davidh373]

460

 

[mfenn]

ah, got it. 4xx is nvidia, 5xxx is ati.

so if i wanna go a little higher, what would you guys recommend w/this mobo/cpu combination?

Yeah, the GTX 460 would be the next logical upgrade, though you would want to up the PSU to a higher output unit. This Silverstone 500W will do the job as will this Corsair 650W.